


Keep Me Close (Help Me Breathe)

by coldcreation



Series: Let Me Try [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: A/B/O, Affection, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Animal Instincts, Animal Traits, Biology, Boyfriends, Boys In Love, Character Study, Comfort, Communication, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dom/sub, Domestic Boyfriends, Domestic Fluff, Dominance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotions, Feels, Fluff, I don't know what this is!, I just love these bois ok??, Intimacy, Kissing, Light Dom/sub, Love, M/M, Made-Up Biology, Mates, Misunderstandings, Multi, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Verse, Pack, Pack Bonding, Pack Dynamics, Pack Feels, Polyamorous Pack, Polyamory, Scent Marking, Scenting, Slice of Life, Submission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-06-30 09:40:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19850506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldcreation/pseuds/coldcreation
Summary: From Kitty:Everything ok?From Liam:Yeah, just finished footy. Why?From Kitty:So you’re not pissed at Iz?From Liam:?? No?-Isac gets too caught up in his own head. Liam is confused.





	Keep Me Close (Help Me Breathe)

**Author's Note:**

> So, hello, I was just trying to figure out Isac’s character more in depth, and then this ended up getting (way too) long. I didn’t want to leave it unposted because posting seems to motivate me to write. Basically, eek: this wasn’t supposed to exist! Not sure much even happens in it! Sorry in advance to anyone hoping for something more, I dunno, (s)exciting? lololl. This is in the feels and fluff department. 
> 
> I would love it if you gave this a read, thank you!

From Kitty: _Everything ok?_

From Liam: _Yeah, just finished footy. Why?_

From Kitty: _So you’re not pissed at Iz?_

From Liam: _?? No?_

From Liam: _What’s going on?_

Liam furrowed his brow at the phone screen, eyes scanning over the messages he had received during the practise. 

“See you tomorrow, Liam,” one of his teammates called while heading out the locker room door. Liam just lifted a distracted hand, completely missing which one of the guys had even said it, too focused on waiting for a reply. 

Liam sighed when his staring didn’t magically make the typing bubbles appear by Kit’s contact. 

“Later!” Michaels hollered over his shoulder, receiving a murmured wave of replies from the others. The door banged after him, and Liam’s phone stayed stubbornly quiet. 

With a huff Liam grabbed the front of his shirt to wipe some of the sweat from his face. He couldn’t think of anything that would make the texts make sense… The last time he had seen Isac had been before the practise, and everything had been just fine then. Normal. Liam had been in a bit of a hurry, running late and trying to find one of his stubbornly hiding cleats. Isac had been his usual mischievous self, and... probably the reason why Liam’s cleat was missing, now that he thought of it. 

So: normal. 

The phone buzzed and Liam rushed to unlock the screen that had fallen dark while he waited. 

From Kitty: _Are you free if I call?_

Liam’s heart lurched. That did not sound good. 

At all. 

With quick moves Liam repacked his bag, haphazardly throwing in his long sleeved shirt and water bottle. He didn’t bother changing out of his cleats this time, so he stuffed his boots, one each, into the side pockets of the sport bag. The shin guards stayed on as well, and his socks rolled down around his ankles, where he had abandoned them after getting distracted by the text messages. 

Liam checked his locker with one last sweeping gaze, and then hauled the strap of the bag over his head. 

“Later mate,” Chris said when Liam walked past him, the studs of his cleats rapping against the scuff marked floor with each step. 

“Yeah. See you tomorrow,” Liam called out, and waved a hand when the rest of the guys chorused something similar in reply. 

He was barely out of the locker room and outside in the fresh air, when he already had the dial tone signalling the call. He didn’t feel like waiting for Kit, too impatient to find out what was going on. 

“Hi, Liam,” Kit’s voice carried through the phone, familiar and - calm. Which was good. Hopefully. “All done running after balls with the lads?” 

“All done, Kitty,” Liam said, purposefully using the nickname Kit liked to grumble about. It was just to tease him, the alpha was teasing Liam first, after all. “What’s up? With the texts, I mean. I don’t… Did something happen?” 

“Nah. Seems like a misunderstanding. Except I suspect this was mostly Isac,” Kit said, and Liam could hear an omegan whine somewhere in the background. It was a discontent one, instantly stirring something protective and alarmed within Liam. 

“Kit,” Liam said, voice gone a bit tense from the instinctual reaction to the unhappy sound. “Please, explain.” 

“Hey. He’s fine, love. Just… For some reason he thinks you’re mad at him,” Kit replied easily, his tone soothing Liam’s worry a little as he started to walk towards their flat. He trusted his alpha mate, and he knew both of his omegas would be fine if Kit said so. It wouldn’t stop him from feeling on edge though. 

“Okay,” Liam said slowly, shivering as the wind hit him, colder than it had been earlier in the day. If he hadn’t been so intent on getting back to the flat as soon as possible, he’d have paused to dig the long sleeved shirt out from his bag. The last thing he needed was to get sick because he was stupid enough to stand in the wind, all sweaty after a workout. “I’m not, though? Mad at him. Everything was okay when I stopped by the flat. I mean… I _thought_ everything was fine?” 

“Right. I’m starting to see what happened,” Kit huffed, and then gently hushed when a soft whimper arose. Liam swallowed thickly, brows still furrowed. “Figured that ‘he got so pissed he left’ didn’t sound quite right. Told him that isn’t like something you’d do, and he knows it, but he was in a proper tizzy over it.” 

“What?” Liam gaped, barely paying attention as he crossed the street. He had to jog a couple of steps and wave at a driver, who was now glaring at him. “I was running late and trying to find my stuff. I barely had time to get changed, less to get angry at something!”

“Huh,” Kit said, and Liam could almost hear him thinking. And then he could almost hear him smile, too. The next words clearly weren’t directed at Liam, “I told you he’s not mad, love. C’mon, here, let me get those tears.”

“He’s crying?!” Liam paused in the middle of the sidewalk like an idiot. Luckily no one else was around, even though they’d have been able to scent his upset alpha pheromones even if he hadn’t been blocking the street. Who could blame him though? Isac very rarely cried over anything! “Kit, you said everything’s fine!” 

“Everything _is_ fine,” Kit spoke to the phone again, using almost the same tone he had just talked to Isac with. Liam huffed through his nose, starting to walk again. “I think he’s just had a bit of a hyper day and got overwhelmed. You know how he gets sometimes. Could be pre-heat messing with him, too.” 

An annoyed ‘ _I’m right here’_ carried through the phone, but it was quiet enough that Liam barely heard it. 

He decided to reply to Kit instead, “I know… But still, why’d I be mad? When am I ever truly mad at them? Kit?” 

Liam reached the end of their street, feeling almost as out of breath as he had been right after the practice. 

“Liam, you’re fine, okay? Relax,” Kit soothed, and Liam tried to follow his alpha’s advice, releasing the tension from his shoulders. “Okay, wait. Here, Izzy wants to talk.” 

“Yeah,” Liam rushed out, and then, “Hi? Hi, Iz?” 

“Liam?” the omega’s voice was tiny, still thick with tears, and yet he still managed to sound somewhat petulant. 

“Yeah, babe. Everything okay?” Liam asked, worry obvious in his words. 

“Are you coming back soon?” Isac asked instead of answering. Liam scanned the street in front of him. 

“I’m almost downstairs,” Liam said, squeezing the phone in between his ear and shoulder for a moment. With his now free hands he dug out his keys from the small pocket on the top of his bag. “Are you… I’ll be up in a sec, yeah?” 

“Okay. Good.” It was sweet, the relief in Isac’s voice. Of course he tried to cover it up, “If you get any slower, they’ll kick you off the team.” 

“Yeah, probably,” Liam agreed softly, hearing the omega sound more like himself helped him relax further. And…

The call was disconnected before he could say anything else. 

Liam stared at the phone, half amused, half horrified over the depth of his feelings for Isac. He’d probably let the omega bury him alive and still just find it endearing.

With a shake of his head Liam jogged up the stairs, rushing to the familiar door. 

Inside, Isac was ready, glaring at him from the couch, arms crossed over his chest and lashes clumped with wetness. Kit, sitting next to the omega, grinned up at Liam. Apparently he had decided that nothing too serious was going on.

The alpha hummed happily and rubbed his cheek against Liam’s palm when he got close enough. Like the bloody kitten he swore he wasn’t. 

With a swallow Liam shifted his gaze back to Isac, head on meeting the storm that lived in the grey of his eyes. The omega’s chin was jutted, cheeks sucked in, and brow heavy. It was the exact look of someone who had overreacted, but refused to admit it without a fight. 

Isac lifted his chin higher. “I was being annoying,” he said, _accusingly,_ as if that made any sense. 

Because… Apparently it was somehow Liam’s fault? Well, not really, of course. It was just Isac’s defence mechanism against vulnerability, and the alphas and Nathan had learned to look past it. Still, tricky little beast, he was. 

Gosh, Liam loved him to death, it was ridiculous. 

When Liam just kept looking at him, Isac’s brows furrowed more. He was using the truth as a weapon. “I hid your stuff! And then you swore at me.”

The truth and - something else completely?

What? 

“At _you_?” Liam asked, incredulous. He shook his head, blond waves pushing to his eyes from the strength of the move. He definitely had _not_ done such a thing! “Or at the missing things? Which, by the way, I didn’t know at the time you had messed with. I was in a hurry, you know.” 

“Sorry,” Isac said, too quickly, and looking surprisingly chastised while still holding up the glare. 

It took Liam a second to realise the omega thought he was reprimanding him. 

“No. Iz...” Liam sighed. He swiped at his hair anxiously, pushing the strands away from his forehead. “I’m not talking about anything you did. I meant that _I was in a hurry_ , so of course I was getting frustrated when I couldn’t find everything quickly. I wasn’t swearing at you.” 

It was sometimes so hard to read Isac. He was easygoing and playful by default, and most things he just brushed off with a roll of his eyes. The difficulty was to figure out what _wasn’t_ included with those ‘most things’... And when a bunch of omegan instincts was thrown in the mix? Well, sometimes even Isac himself didn’t know why he might’ve reacted funny. 

Liam exchanged a look with Kit. The darker alpha just shrugged, reassuring smile remaining on his bowed lips. 

It seemed like the whole ordeal had more to do with those primal instincts than with anything else. Which was completely fine, of course. It was just slightly challenging, because Isac hated admitting that his omegan side had any affect on him. 

Yeah. Both of their omegas had some old hang ups with vulnerability. So similar, yet oh-so-different. And Liam wouldn’t have them be any other way. 

“Okay, then. I’ll go pick Natty up,” Kit said when the pause started to stretch, and he stood up. Liam knew it was a way to give them some time to settle the - whatever it was that had happened. Liam nodded at the alpha, and leaned in when Kit raked a hand into his hair. The eye contact was steadying, “You’re fine, Li.” Kit tangled his fingers into Liam’s curling waves, tugging gently to drive the statement home. “Okay?” 

Liam allowed Kit to tilt his head to the side, easily baring his throat for him. It was an alpha’s way of showing that everything was taken care of, and he could let it go. Kit had him. 

Liam felt like he could breathe a bit easier. 

“Okay,” Liam rasped back, and then sighed against Kit’s lips when they confidently pressed into his. 

It was short but dominating, matching exactly what Liam needed right then; reassurance and support from his head alpha and his mate. Kit’s fist was secure in his hair and his mouth was hot. Liam’s muscles felt almost forced to relax, all the control taken from him. 

The flat was quiet when the door closed after Kit, and there was no sign of Isac anywhere. He must have sneaked out of the room while Liam’s attention had been on Kit. 

With a deep breath Liam decided to finally have his shower, hoping that the omega would just come to him when he felt ready. That’s how these things usually went with him, anyway. 

It took a while, but after Liam had rinsed conditioner off his hair, he heard the bathroom door click. 

Isac was frowning, pouty lips even poutier than usual. He looked so adorably annoyed with himself that Liam had to hide a fond smile. He turned his back to the omega and let the shower spray hit his face. 

It was better to let Isac come to him, kind of pretend that he didn’t know he was there. Isac would no doubt just get defensive, if he noticed Liam cooing at him. Liam had to bite down on his lip when heard the huffy omega undress and sneak behind him. 

It wasn’t surprising in the slightest when the arms wrapping around his middle were accompanied with sharp little teeth against his shoulder blade. With a soft hum Liam continued his washing, unhurriedly rinsing his hair again and massaging the last remnants of product away. He paid no mind to Isac clinging to his back, allowing the omega to huddle close. He would talk when he was done fighting himself. 

It didn’t take much longer. 

“I forgot you had practise,” Isac admitted quietly against the knobs of Liam’s spine, some minutes later. His arms were tight around Liam’s belly, fingertips tracing the dips of his obligues. 

“That’s okay,” Liam said just as softly. He dropped his hands down to smooth gentle palms over Isac’s. He could feel the omega shake his head, the motion followed by an obviously frustrated sigh. 

“No, I...” Isac started, only to trail off. Liam felt him press his forehead tighter against his back. “It’s so stupid.” 

“Doubt it,” Liam said, moving to wrap his fingers around Isac’s slender wrists, the hold barely there. “Tell me?” 

“Just… M’head was getting all messy, and I knew you’d… Hanging out with someone usually helps.” It was almost cute how the omega skirted around what he truly meant. For some reason it was always such a struggle for Isac to truly admit when he needed his omegan nature soothed by the alphas. “But then you left. And my stupid brain decided it was because of me. Because I know I was being annoying on purpose.” 

“Was it you being annoying, or you needing some attention?” Liam prompted, even though he knew Isac hated to acknowledge that. “Because you wanted to be made sit still?” 

“No,” Isac denied sharply. However, the ‘yes’ was still obvious, no matter how much Isac tried to hide it. Truth to be told, the omega probably hoped it was obvious. That way he didn’t have to admit it out loud. He could save face, or whatever ridiculousness his self-consciousness imagined it did. “I was _bored_ , and wanted to do something, so I hid your stuff.” 

“Because you wanted attention,” Liam concluded for him, grinning lopsidedly over his shoulder. Fingertips dug into his belly to showcase Isac’s displeasure. The omega growled. 

“Piss off. Why do you guys always think I’m some attention whore?” Isac said. He must’ve not been as grumpy as he sounded though, because he allowed Liam to turn around. 

Now chest to chest, Liam looped his arms behind Isac’s back, and pulled the omega tight against him. 

“It’s not that, you brat,” Liam said with a chuckle, watching fondly as Isac squinted at him. A soft blush from the heat of the bathroom was colouring his cheeks, small droplets from the spray dotting his skin. Liam couldn’t resist leaning in and stealing a kiss from that soft mouth. And Isac could huff all he wanted, but Liam could feel how the omega rose on his toes, leaning up into the kiss. “Everyone needs attention. _You_ just never want to ask for it.” 

Isac rolled his eyes, yet he seemed to be melting against Liam, nosing under his chin with soft touches. “How’d you even ask for something like that?” A sweet press of a tongue brushed at the corner of Liam’s jaw. “Besides, messing with you guys is fun.” 

“It is fun. And _you are_ fun.” Liam made sure to point that out whenever it was relevant. He knew that not everyone appreciated Isac’s mischievous nature, which was fair enough. Their loss. That didn’t stop Isac from being aware of others’ reactions to him. 

If someone wasn’t able to look past the cheekiness to see the omega’s gentle side, they clearly weren’t meant to be. Again: Their loss. 

But sure, for some Isac truly could be too high-energy, and too reckless, but that was just how personalities worked. Not everyone matched everyone. Liam himself sometimes worried that Isac would find him boring. Or that Nathan would think he was too smothering. Neither had happened yet, but it could. So, yes, he understood Isac’s secret insecurity about it, even if the omega didn’t want to state it too obviously. Isac just tended to overcompensate, and then suffer in silence, all the while he somehow swapped the cans of whipped cream and shaving cream. 

“Would save you some stress and tears tough, if you sometimes just used your words,” Liam added. He smiled down at Isac, the small omega all but tucked under his chin and against his chest. He was such a sweet little thing when he allowed himself to be. Liam just wished Isac would let go a bit more, and not worry so much about appearing ‘soft’, or whatever. 

Nathan joining their pack had really helped with that. The younger omega was much more careful and sensitive, eager to please in a way that had caught even Liam off guard. Nathan turned all of them into protective cavemen, and seeing how the two omegas interacted with each other was honestly just lovely. Their relationship seemed to give Isac an excuse to be openly sweet, without the attention being on him too directly. And Nathan just needed all the sweetness in the world in general. It worked perfectly. 

Liam made a quiet noise, remembering what Isac had just asked. “You could just ask us to hang out, y’know? Don’t always have to tear the place apart until we scruff you.” 

Isac mumbled something, shoulders heaving with a sharp exhale. Liam tilted his head, unsuccessfully trying to peek at his face. 

“What was that?” he asked, and Isac slowly leaned back enough to scowl at him. 

“Maybe I like it when you take me down,” Isac said, challenge ringing in the words. 

Liam knew his dimples cut in deep with the amused smile that now stretched his lips. Because, yeah. _Duh._

“We know,” Liam said, eyes crinkling. Isac glared, but didn’t say anything. It was pretty obvious that the omega liked to push the limits and set the rhythm. But only as long as it was guaranteed that the alphas would catch him in the end; take care of him. “Were you hoping that'd happen? Today, when I stopped by?” 

Isac huffed, the air rushing snarkily out his nose. “I don’t _hope_ for it. It just happens,” he said, “And I guess. I was bored, and there was nothing to do. And then you left almost right away and my brain wouldn't shut up.” 

Liam pressed a kiss to Isac’s forehead. Guilt burned inside his chest, even though he knew he couldn’t have done anything much differently. Not with Isac refusing to tell him where his head was at, in the moment. 

“Are you still feeling anxious, then?” Liam asked, and Isac instantly opened his mouth to deny the statement. 

However, he seemed to think better of it, and slowly shrugged instead. Which was quite rare. He usually didn’t like to admit that sometimes, when he didn’t have a place for all the energy to go to, it turned into anxiety. 

“It helped when Kit came home,” Isac allowed. He then peeked up at Liam through his lashes, round eyes bright and trusting. “And you.” 

What a dangerous creature. 

Liam rubbed his palms up Isac’s sides to cup the back of his neck. The omega’s eyes fell shut at the feeling and he nuzzled into the touch, sighing with what seemed to be relief. 

Liam counted the summer-freckles scattered over the omega’s nose, steamed air curling around them as they curled around each other. Isac’s scent was content now, almost back to normal. Liam breathed it in eagerly, hoping he could forever keep the sour and negative emotions out of his omega’s system. He knew that wasn’t how life worked though, and he could just do his best to be there for him.

“What do you need?” Liam asked after a while, water drumming down his back, thumbs sweeping over the damp skin of Isac’s cheeks. 

The grey eyes blinked back open, and Liam watched patiently as Isac sorted his internal struggle. 

From the reactions to questions like this one, Liam and Kit had quickly figured out that neither of their omegas had grown up hearing emotionally acknowledging questions that often. Perhaps they had just been _told,_ and never asked at all. Or their parents had been more preoccupied with something else, such as fighting, as it had unfortunately been in Nathan’s case. Taking time to ask a child what they needed and felt, might not have been the first thing to happen, well meaning family or not. To a sensitive omega child, or any child for that matter, that could become tricky once they reached adulthood. 

They were both getting better at it now, though. Learning to distinguish what they actually felt and wanted. Learning their own needs so they could ask for them to be met, and helping their alphas to know what to give them, and how. 

“Hate this,” Isac muttered at last, a deeper blush colouring his face as he grumbled. Liam just smiled at him, eyebrows raised, and eventually the omega sighed. “Just… When you hold me in place? Makes my head quiet... ‘cause I don’t have to decide or do anything. Or, like, _can’t_.” 

Liam hummed, and then kissed Isac’s soft cheek. “Good boy.” 

“Fuck you,” Isac hissed petulantly, and then hid his face in Liam’s neck. He smacked his chest, too, when he could feel Liam’s laughter. “Well, are you going to do it or what?” 

“Alright, alright,” Liam said, twisted around to cut off the water. “Since you asked so nicely.” 

“Shouldn’t have to ask at all,” Isac was muttering to himself, stepping away from the embrace, and out of the shower, “Could just smack you until you pin me, but _no!_ Words!” 

Liam decided to ignore him, shaking his head with an amused tilt to his lips. He caught the towel Isac threw his way, and wiped his face dry. 

“Couch or bedroom?” 

Isac was quiet for a moment, running a towel over his short hair. “Couch.” 

“Okay. Clothes first, though,” Liam added. The fact that Isac didn’t complain out of habit was such a clear telltale; he really must’ve been in need of some quiet time. 

Liam watched Isac dry up rest of the way as he quietly followed him into the bedroom. The omega ruffled his hair once more before throwing the towel over the door to dry. He had to jump to do it, small bum jiggling and the muscles of his back bunching as he tried to make up for his shortness. 

Liam probably had some serious heart eyes going on. Luckily he knew better than to hang the towel for him. 

“What?” Isac asked when he turned, done with his mission, and looking adorably young with his undone hair and bath-flushed skin. It was sometimes almost impossible to believe the omega was actually older than Liam, looking like that. Liam shook his head to clear it, thoughts getting too mushy for that time of the day. That, and Isac would’ve elbowed him in the kidney, if he actually voiced all of this at once. 

“Here,” Liam said instead, tugging his maroon hoodie from the wardrobe, and then over Isac’s head. The fabric swallowed the omega’s compact body, and he looked disgruntled when his head popped through. 

“Gee, thanks,” Isac said without any heat. “Possessive much.” 

Liam pulled a comfortable shirt and shorts on himself, and then wrapped an arm around Isac’s waist, steering him towards the living room. The omega flapped the too-long sleeves of the hoodie at Liam, only pausing to smirk when he realised he wasn’t getting any underwear to go with his new outfit. 

Isac wiggled his eyebrows until Liam bit his shoulder through the fabric. 

“Shut up. It’s cute,” Liam defended himself. It was hard not to find the idea attractive. Warm, comfortable omega, snuggly wrapped inside his hoodie, otherwise bare and vulnerable. Skin pink and body so trusting under his hands. 

Isac snorted, clearly not sharing the sentiment, “Don’t know if I’d use that word, but you do you, alpha.” 

“And I sure will,” Liam declared, pressing a messy kiss against Isac’s temple, making him whine and swat with the sleeves again. 

See? Cute. 

In the livingroom Liam sat down on the couch, muscles warm from footy and the shower. He tugged Isac on his lap before the omega had time to get worked up, or to _scheme_. He settled down easily enough though, and didn’t fuss one bit while Liam arranged them. 

“Comfortable?” Liam asked once he had Isac tucked against his chest again. 

His face was hidden into Liam’s neck, arms held by the wrists behind his back. Isac tested the hold a little, but then just nodded, snuggling closer. Liam breathed in the familiar, shower-fresh scent of him. 

With his free hand he tugged the hood over Isac’s head, creating a dark nook, and hiding him inside the concentration of Liam’s own scent. _Yes_ , possessive much. 

“Good boy,” Liam said again, without the teasing hint this time. 

Isac exhaled, body falling lax. So trusting, scent laced with relieved contentment. With his arms held behind his back, and his legs spread wide to accommodate Liam’s body, the omega was truly at the alpha’s mercy. Just like Isac wanted, and needed. Craved.

Liam pressed his face against Isac’s hood covered neck, closed his eyes, and relaxed into the little bubble they had created.

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure what I’m doing with this whole thing. There’s no plot to any of this! Tbh I’m just trying to keep myself actively writing. :D Well, I hope it wasn’t horribly boring nonsense!
> 
> (If you have prompts, lemme know in the comments; I might or might not, no promises.) 
> 
> Thanks for reading!<3


End file.
